Generally speaking, businesses have sought to maximize efficiency by using various devices to automate data entry. As one particular example, in the area of inventory management the indicia or symbol reading device (e.g., barcode reader, barcode scanner, RFID reader, etc.) has greatly reduced the time and errors inherent to manual data entry.
Indicia readers may fall within a number of general categories including handheld readers (e.g., mobile devices employed as code symbol readers), laser scan engine barcode readers, and image sensor based barcode readers. One such general category of indicia reader includes the fixed-mount or fixed-position indicia reader which may incorporate image sensor and/or laser-based scan engines.
Fixed-position indicia readers, although also potentially usable in a handheld or unmounted arrangement, are typically directed to a hands-free functional design (i.e., are configured to be mounted or installed on any number of mounting surfaces). Fixed-position readers may be utilized in general or rugged environments for a variety of applications (e.g., retail point-of-sale (POS), kiosks, healthcare, package sorting, direct part mark (DPM), boarding pass scanning, etc.). In one particular use case, fixed-mount indicia reading systems may be employed where the indicia (e.g., barcodes) to be read are presented by an operator or by a machine in approximately the same position and orientation on each read or scan attempt.
Fixed-position indicia readers generally include mounting mechanisms (e.g., threaded inserts and mounting screws) for affixing the reader on a mounting surface such as a wall.
Indicia readers may include visual and/or audio indicators for providing information to a user relating to the present status and/or the various operations of the indicia reader (e.g., failure indications, entering a different mode, completing a successful scan, etc.). Decoding success indications may be provided whereby, for example, the illumination system of the reader is switched off and accompanied by an audible indication (i.e., a tone) from a sound source (e.g., a speaker, beeper, etc.) in response to successfully reading a barcode. Further, illumination of an indicator light (e.g., an LED) from the housing of the reader may be provided as an indicator.
In a hands-free system such as a fixed-mount system (e.g., without a user-trigger mechanism), audible indications may be particularly important for providing information relating to the indicia reader's operations (e.g., that a successful scan has occurred). In the case of an audible indication, the sound signal generally travels from a sound source within the reader's housing through openings on a surface of the housing.
For ease of use and for optimal configurability, a fixed-position reader would ideally be accessible for mounting in a broad range of different positions to a mounting surface; for example, by including mounting mechanisms on all or substantially all of the surfaces of the reader's housing. In the case of audible indications, however, the openings exiting on a surface of the housing (i.e., to “voice” the audio) can be blocked by the mounting surface in certain mounting configurations. To solve this problem, additional sound sources having sound openings on additional surfaces can be added, but the additional audio components and related structural features result in increased complexity and cost during manufacturing, as well as a greater potential for component failure during operation.
Therefore, a need exists for more effective fixed-position indicia reading systems, including but not limited to systems including efficient, cost-effective fixed-mount indicia readers for transmitting audible indications to a user when mounted in different positions to a mounting surface.